She picked up the phone and called him. Of course, the call went to voicemail. Hearing his voice in his greeting only enraged her further. Without giving it another thought, she shot out of the car, slamming the door behind her.
Brushing the tears away, she sucked in deep breaths to try to calm herself. She stalked toward his front door, trying desperately to compose herself. So many choice words came to mind that she wanted to scream at him. The two most blaring were its over! It really was, for good this time. Never in all the horrible scenarios she’d played out in her head over the years did she realize how unbearable the pain would be. The thought of him with someone else didn’t even compare to actually seeing it.
She rang the doorbell, and then immediately knocked. After only seconds, she knocked again. The door opened and even though it had only been days since she’d last seen him, she still had to take a moment to take him all in. The man was unreal. He stood there all six feet three of him. His dark, heavily lashed eyes stared at her, startled.
“Valerie, sweetheart. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Of course not.” Her voice broke but she kept it together. “New houseguest this week?”
He shifted in the door way and she caught a glimpse of the bitch sitting at his dining room table. The table they’d eaten the breakfast they’d prepared together just that Sunday. The very table he’d reached across, over and over, claiming he couldn’t keep his hands off her.
Valerie felt her insides tearing apart. Something had ignited in her. Something terrible she’d never felt in her life. Alex stepped outside closing the door behind him. “No, babe. I know what you’re thinking, but I can explain.”
He tried to grab her hand and she jerked it away. “Go to hell, Alex! I’ve had enough of your lies.”
She stormed away, ready to go into hysterics. The image of the girl sitting at his table, of him kissing and doing things to her…
“Valerie, wait!”
Her high heels clicked loudly on the pavement as she picked up speed. He caught up, stumbling as his bare feet stepped on something that apparently hurt. The fact that he’d been so comfortably barefoot with the bitch only incensed her more. He took her hand but this time held on tight enough that she couldn’t pull it away.
“Baby, listen to me.” He spoke right into her face. “She’s a tutor.”
Valerie let out a sardonic laugh. “Wow, Alex, the lies wearing a little thin finally?”
“No, she really is.”
“Is that supposed to make it better, Alex? That you’re f**king a tutor?” Valerie screamed.
She’d lost it. She was moments from having a royal meltdown and she had to get out of there because it wouldn’t be pretty. She yanked her hand away and rushed to her car. Alex followed her.
“I mean she’s my tutor, Val. I didn’t want you to know.”
Of course he didn’t. He caught her again just as she got to the door of the car but her arms flung around like a crazy person. She didn’t want to feel any part of him on her ever again. “Get away from me!” Her high-pitched scream froze Alex momentarily. She must’ve looked as crazy as she felt because he stared at her without saying a word.
“Do you care about me at all, Alex?” The taste of salty tears and bitter mascara seeped into the side of her mouth. She could only imagine what a mess her face was. He still stared at her, wide-eyed. “Do you at all?!”
He took a step forward. His face as genuinely pained as all the other times he’d given her excuse after excuse. He began to reach for her again. “Baby, of course I do. I-”
She flung her hand up, slapping his hand away from her. “Then stay away from me! Don’t ever call me again.”
“Valerie don’t-”
“Please, Alex!” She opened the door to the car, got in and locked the door. The window was open and he stood in front of it. “Promise me, Alex. I don’t want you to call me ever again.”
His eyes darkened, his eyebrows pinched. “No.”
“I need you out of my life!” she cried. What she needed was her sanity and at the moment she felt robbed of it. Never in her life had she felt so incapable of controlling her emotions.
She struggled with the ignition as Alex began to try to explain his ridiculous tutor story again. Valerie pressed the button to close the window.
“Valerie listen to me-”
He was still talking when she began to pull away from the curb, nearly taking out his legs.
How she’d ever get over Alex was beyond her, but nothing was worth feeling this kind of pain again. Nothing. She drove away sobbing. Alex Moreno had shred her heart for the last time.
CHAPTER 1
A year later:
Alex Moreno had experienced anticipation many times, mostly after not having seen Valerie for more than one day. He’d always welcomed the excitement and it always rewarded his awkward feelings. But now, this anticipation was more than even Alex could stand. This anticipation had been building for weeks, if not months. Damn if it wasn’t beginning to get annoying.
What he was feeling now made no sense. For the third time, he wiped his sweaty palms with a napkin and threw it in the trash. He just didn’t get it. Of course, he expected to be excited to see her again. He hadn’t seen her in more than a year. But he couldn’t understand why his nerves were tricking him in every way. What the hell did Alex Moreno have to be nervous about? It was Valerie. So, what, he told himself. He’d never been nervous about seeing her before.